Trafalgar Entertainment agrees 70-year lease of major new London theatre at Olympia

Trafalgar Entertainment agrees 70-year lease of
               major new London theatre at Olympia
1,575-seat venue will be the largest new permanent theatre build to open in London since
                               the National Theatre in 1976

                                IMAGE CREDIT: Heatherwick Studio/ We are Narrativ

Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International (DFI) – developers of the £1.3 billion regeneration of
Olympia as a world-leading cultural destination – announce a major agreement with premium
international live entertainment business, Trafalgar Entertainment, to run the site’s new 1,575-seat
theatre. The theatre will be the largest new permanent theatre build of its kind to open in London
since the National Theatre in 1976.

The Olympia theatre agreement is part of a broader ambition by Trafalgar Entertainment to create a
venue of national stature as the UK emerges into a new era. Like its neighbour, the Royal Albert Hall,
it is set to become an iconic venue for the 21st century. Trafalgar has long recognised the
transformational power of culture in making great places, with the nation’s flagship venues an integral
part of the new vibrancy and civic self-confidence of towns and cities.

The Olympia venue breaks new ground in theatre design with a stunning, state-of-the-art 1,575 seat
auditorium at its heart, designed by award-winning theatre architects, Haworth Tompkins. Informed
by Trafalgar Entertainment’s unique experience of theatre operation and the complex demands of
modern productions, the theatre offers the very latest innovations in technical facilities.

The expectations of modern audiences have also been anticipated; with a stacked auditorium design
meaning every comfortable seat will feel close to the stage, and audiences can additionally enjoy the
highest standards of ventilation throughout the theatre. Spacious, glazed front-of-house areas offer
far-reaching views across London, making a visit to the theatre a uniquely memorable experience.
Visitors will enjoy top class bar, hospitality and VIP facilities, reinforcing the central role of this new
landmark theatre in anchoring the wider Olympia redevelopment.

Currently under construction, the Olympia Theatre is scheduled to open in mid-late 2025. Trafalgar
Entertainment’s lease runs for 35 years, with an option to extend for a further 35. They join luxury
lifestyle and entertainment brands AEG Presents, Hyatt and citizenM as anchor tenants of the new,
14-acre Olympia redevelopment.

Trafalgar Entertainment beat off strong competition to lease the theatre. Leading theatre
entrepreneurs and Joint CEOs of Trafalgar Entertainment, Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary
Squire are at the forefront of the UK’s cultural recovery. They founded Ambassador Theatre Group
from scratch and built it into the world’s largest live theatre company while running the company for
25 successful years. Their latest venture - Trafalgar Entertainment - is a leading force behind major
theatre investment in the UK and internationally.

In addition to the new Olympia theatre, Trafalgar Entertainment’s enlarged West End theatre – the
Trafalgar Theatre – will open in July with Jersey Boys following a major multi-million pound
restoration. Trafalgar Entertainment also recently completed the acquisition of HQ Theatres who
operate 12 regional venues across the UK, and the major acquisition and restoration of Australia’s
iconic Theatre Royal Sydney which opens with Broadway’s favourite multi award-winning musical,
Alanis Morrisette’s Jagged Little Pill in September.

The Olympia agreement comes at a crucial time for the UK’s £100 billion p/y valued creative industries.
It is a strong show of investor confidence in the cultural sector as it recovers from the sweeping
economic effects of the pandemic which closed most venues for over a year. Trafalgar Entertainment
has shown no signs of slowing down, and is continuing its global expansion into Asia Pacific, with
expectations to move into the US market in the coming year.

Chairman of Yoo Capital, John Hitchcox, said: “Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire have a
unique track record in exceptional live entertainment and we are delighted to welcome Trafalgar
Entertainment as the latest tenants of Olympia. Our vision is to create a new cultural hub in West
London and we are looking forward to opening the largest new permanent theatre in the city for 45
years. This will be a big boost for the city’s entertainment industry and the local economy, providing
the very best productions for theatre lovers and heralding a new era for theatre and entertainment in
London.”

Co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment, Howard Panter, said: “Looking forward to a new golden age
of theatre, Olympia presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity – it is quite simply one of the most
exciting new theatres London has seen for many years and we’re delighted to be playing our part as
operator. Trafalgar Entertainment is determined to help the return of live entertainment across the
UK: we know that audiences want passionately to return to the unique magic that is live theatre. Next
month, our remodelled Trafalgar Theatre will open in the West End, Anything Goes plays a summer
season at the Barbican, and we’re launching UK tours of The King and I and The Rocky Horror Show.
With HQ Theatres opening new productions across the UK in coming months, and the Theatre Royal
Sydney in Australia opening its doors for the first time in five years, we’re seeing the mighty strength
of the theatre sector as investors and audiences come together to give the people what they want -
brilliant world class theatre.”

Cllr Andrew Jones, Hammersmith & Fulham Cabinet Member for the Economy, said: “Our ambitious
Industrial Strategy has helped attract the largest new permanent theatre to be built in London in more
than 40 years, creating new jobs for local residents and giving local young people more opportunities
in the arts. The iconic Olympia London venue is a vital part of our mission to make Hammersmith &
Fulham a global hotspot in culture, STEM (Science, technology, engineering and maths) and creative
industries. We’re working with our vibrant theatres, concert halls and art galleries to turn H&F into a
go-to destination.”

Gavin Neilan, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of DFI, added: “Olympia is a hugely important and
iconic venue which has a rich and successful 130-year history, as well as tremendous untapped
potential. Our vision is to truly unlock that potential by creating a vibrant new cultural, leisure and
business hub for London, where visitors and office workers can enjoy a diverse spectrum of
exceptional experiences and companies can showcase their products. The number of exciting and
high profile occupiers already signed up, and notably, the addition today of Trafalgar as the theatre
operator, provide a clear demonstration that our vision to make Olympia’s next 130 years even more
successful than its first, is shared.

The £1.3 billion Olympia redevelopment project will create a new cultural hub in west London. Yoo
Capital and DFI are also in advanced talks with other potential occupiers with strong interest being
shown for the development’s four-screen arthouse cinema, restaurants, shops, cafés and 550,000 sq
ft of office and co-working space. The Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC-designed project will also see
the enhancement of the existing exhibition halls and 2.5 acres of new public space created.

CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield are joint advisors on the leasing. The Olympia redevelopment is due
to open in 2024.
                                                  -   ENDS -

For media enquiries or interviews related to the Olympia theatre and Trafalgar Entertainment, please contact
BLJ LONDON maryannw@blj.co.uk / 07703 714 717. For enquiries about the Olympia project, contact
THREESIXTY Communications futureolympia@threesixtycomms.com / Rob Lester – 07483 050783

About Trafalgar Entertainment
Co-founded by Sir Howard Panter and Dame Rosemary Squire in 2017, Trafalgar Entertainment is a premium
international live entertainment business focussed on new productions, the distribution of live-streaming
innovative content and the provision of amazing spaces where people can come together to share in the
experience of live entertainment. TE is home to Trafalgar Theatre, Theatre Royal Sydney, HQ Theatres and
Hospitality (the UK’s largest specialist regional theatre operator), Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Trafalgar
Releasing (distributors of specialised content to over 8,000 cinemas in more than 120 countries worldwide),
Stagecoach Performing Arts (the UK market leader in extra-curricular Performing Arts tuition with over 2,000
schools and classes and over 50,000 students in the UK and worldwide), London Theatre Direct (one of the UK’s
leading ticket retailers and distributors), Luke Shires Marketing, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions, the
Chiswick Cinema with exclusive Private Members’ Club and More2Screen (distributors of over 150 ‘special event’
productions to a network of more than 7,000 cinemas in 65+ international territories).
www.trafalgarentertainment.com

About YOO Capital Management
YOO Capital Management is a privately owned real estate investment firm with over £3 billion of gross real
estate assets under management across Greater London. Specialising in creative, complex mixed-use
investments, the firm has in house private equity, creative asset management and development capabilities
with over 30 years and $10 billion of transactional experience. Additional information can be found at
www.yoocapital.com

About Deutsche Finance International (DFI):
DFI is a pan-European private equity firm with €2.8 billion of assets under management, which specialises in
customer centric and operational real estate. It pursues differentiated and thematic value add and select
opportunistic strategies in order to deliver consistent and superior risk-adjusted returns through deep value
investing, capitalising on trends and transforming under-managed and under-invested assets and operating
companies through active asset management. The firm acts as the investment adviser to its discretionary funds
and co-investment partners, and has a global institutional client base that includes pension funds, insurance
companies, financial institutions and family offices.

DFI is independently managed by its Founding Partners Frank RoccoGrande and Gavin Neilan with a dedicated
best-in-class multidisciplinary team operating across offices in London, Munich, Madrid and Luxembourg. It
benefits from being part of the DEUTSCHE FINANCE GROUP, a global investment management firm that
specialises in private market real estate and infrastructure investments. DEUTSCHE FINANCE GROUP currently
has over €7.9 billion of assets under management and is headquartered in Munich. DEUTSCHE FINANCE GROUP
is privately owned and regulated by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority of Germany, BaFin.

For additional information see www.deutsche-finance-international.com

About Olympia
Olympia – a destination with a taste for the spectacular – uniting art, entertainment, technology and the creative
industries. Designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC Architecture, the rejuvenation of the capital’s busiest
events venue – which attracts more than 1.6 million visitors and over 200 events each year – sees the addition
of five live entertainment venues, two globally renowned hotels, 40+ restaurants and eateries, an art-house
cinema, creative offices and studios, and 2.5 acres of gardens and public realm.
Read more: www.futureolympia.com.